Article handling apparatus



June 10, 1947. E, E, BARKSTRQM ErAL 2,421,920

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 6, 1945 June 110, 1947- E. E. BARKsTRoM ETAL. 2,421,920

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS f5 AmismaM June l0, 1947. E. E. BARKSTROM ErAL 2,421,920

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 6, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 //V Vf/V 70196' E 55A mns r/PoM E J SHAW June 10, 1947. E. E. BARKsTRoM ETAL 2,421,920

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 6, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 J5/Mw wld/W7 x, M

mw NN. ,ub-r` V.-- mw t.-- i? -1:11, WVW|I| n m w k. Q \,y l mw vm mm sv nw QQ @UQ www uw N, mm vw vw i--- mw June 1o, 1947. E a BRKSTROM ETAL 2,421,920

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS I Filed Nov. 6, 1943 6`Sheets-Sheet 5 E QQ ' E. E. BARKSTROM ET AL June 10, 1947.

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Nov. e, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1947 ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Elmer E. Barkstrom, Chicago, and Everett J.

Shaw, Western Springs, Ill., asslgnors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 6, 1943, Serial No. 509,162

12 Claims.

This invention relates to article handlingapparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for charging articles into and discharging articles from a pyrolytic carbon depositing furnace.

In the manufacture of carbon resistors of the type in which an adherent coating of carbon is deposited on a ceramic body by the pyrolytic de composition oi carbon-containing gases. one practice has been to placethe ceramic bodies in a suitable furnace in a batch and then to operate the furnace to deposit the carbon. Where, however, it is desired to produce large quantities of resistors of this type, it is more eicient to operate the furnace continuously and to provide automatic charging and discharging mechanisms therefor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and effective apparatus for charging articles into and discharging articles from a pyrolytic carbon depositing furnace.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, an apparatus may be provided including a charging mechanism whereby rod-shaped ceramic cores are transferred from a magazine and pushed through an air seal from which they are transferred to rotatingrollers which extend through the furnace. 'I'he cores are pushed along these rollers by a second pusher operating in coordination with the first pusher. At the discharge end, the cores drop from the rollers, the ends of which are positioned in a chamber from which the cores are discharged through a second air seal by a third pusher operating in coordination with the first and second pushers Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation oi' an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view along the line 8-8 o! Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view along the line 9--9 of Fig. 1: and

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view along theline lli-I of Fig. 9.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, an apparatus is there illustrated for applying a carbon coating to ceramic cores comprising a Ipyrolytic furnace I5 having a charging mechanism I6 positioned at the right end thereof and a discharging mechanism Il positioned at the left end. .The charging and discharging mechanisms are connected to the furnace by a tube I8 which extends through the central portion of the furnace and is connected at its right end to a chamber I9 associated with the charging mechanism and at its left end lto a chamber associated with the discharging mechanism. y

In the operation of this apparatus, rod shaped, ceramic resistor cores 2i are stacked in a maga- Zine, or hopper 22, positioned above the charging mechanism I6, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

This magazine, which comprises a vertically po- Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary end elevaview along the line sitioned rear plate 23, a large U-shaped block 24 which is attached to the upper portion of the plate 23 and supports the cores, and a front plate 25, is mounted on the upper portion of a vertically positioned supporting plate 26, attached to the rear of the chamber i8 and forming the rear wall thereof. The cores are transferred two at a time from the magazine by a pair oi' transfer cylinders 21 mounted on shafts 28 and 29 which are journalied in the front and rear plates 23 and 25, respectively, of the magazine 22, the cylinders being positioned in suitable apertures 30 formed in the base -portion of the U-shaped block 2,4. As may be best seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the outer surfaces of the cylinders 2l are provided with longitudinally extending semi-cylindrical grooves 3i of somewhat greater depth than the diameter of the cores and the cylinders are so positioned in the block 24 that their upper surfaces torm a part of the bottom of the interior of the magazine and are substantially in alignment theiewith.

Since the interior of the magazine is U-shaped, as described, the cores tend to roll into the exposed notches 3 l Thus, as the transfer cylinders 2l rotate, the cores are carried downward and deposited in the upper ends of S-shaped slots 33 formed in the lower portion of the block 24. The lower ends of these slots are closed, By forming these slots in S-shape and restricting their width to a size but slightly greater than the diameter of the cores, the cores are caused to roll rather than to drop from the grooves in the cylinders to the bottom of the slts. It has been found that by causing the cores to roll downward rather than to drop, the possibility of some cores being deposited at the bottom of the slotsv on end or in a position which 'would make thee-next transfer operation diillcult is largely avoided.

Rotation of the cylinders 21 is intermittent l0 and is coordinated with the operation of the charging mechanism which will be described in detail hereinafter. Referring to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the transfer cylinder shaft 28 is substantially longer than the shaft 29 and is pro- A15 vided with a spur gear 34 rwhich drives a pinion gear 35 which, in turn, engages a second spur gear 36 keyed to the left end of the shaft 29. The pinion gear 35 is mounted on a short stud shaft 31 which extends from the rear plate 23 of 20 the magazine 22. A ratchet wheel 48- is keyed to the shaft 28 and is positioned to the left of the spur gear 34, as viewed in Fig. 5. A sleeve 4| is rotatably mounted on the shaft 28 and positioned adjacent the ratchet wheel 40, being retained on the shaft by a knurled knob 42 which is keyed to the left end of the shaft.

The sleeve 4| serves as a support for a'housing 43 which is integrally formed therewith and through which extends a plunger 44. This plunger, which is slidably journalled in the housing 43, serves as a pawl and may be moved clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, about the shaft 28 to rotate the ratchet wheel 40. One end of the plunger 44 bears against the periphery of the ratchet Wheel, being suitably shaped to engage one side of a tooth 45 of the wheel. The plunger is normally held in engagement with the ratchet wheel by a helical spring 46 which is positioned about the plunger. One end of this spring bears against an inner side of the housing 43 and the other end bears against a collar 41 which is fixed to the plunger and positioned within the housing 43. The spring 46 is selected to permit the plunger to ride over the inclined portion of the ratchet tooth during the return, that is the counterclockwise movement of the plunger, the pressure exerted by the spring, however, being insuilicient to cause the plunger 44 to counterrotate the ratchet wheel 40. 5o

The other end of thel plunger 44, which eX- tends somewhat beyond the housing 43, is provided with a shoulder 48 at the end of which is attached a knurled knob 49 by which the plunger may be manually disengaged from the ratchet wheel 40. The shoulder 48 bears against the outer end of the housing 43, as may be seen in Fig. 5, and determines the advanced position of the plunger 44. In order to provide a. means for retaining the plunger 44 in disengaged position, a pin 50 extends transversely through the plunger 44 at a point adjacent the shoulder 48. The ends of this pin are normally positioned in notches 5| formed in the upper end of the housing as viewed in Fig. 5. `However, when the plunger 44 is to be disengaged from the ratchet wheel, as where the shaft 28 is to be rotated manually through the knob 42, the plunger may be withdrawngand rotated a quarter turn. The pin 58 then rests against the end of the housing 43 and the end of the plunger 44 is held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 40. This featuremay also be used to halt the transfer of cores from the magazine 22 where it is desired to permit the remainder to continue operating.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that as the pawl housing 43 is oscillated clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, and the ratchet wheel 40 rotated, the shaft "28 will also be rotated, thus rotating the core transfer cylinder 21, mounted thereon. At the same time, the other transfer cylinder will also be rotated, being driven by the gears 34, 35A and 36. Oscillation of the housing 43 is effected through a substantially vertically disposed link arm 52 which is attached at its upper end to the outer end of the housing 43 and connected at its lower end to one arm 53 of a bell crank designated generally as 54. As shown n Figs. 3 and 4, this bell crank is mounted on a of the apparatus K stud shaft 55 and is provided with an upwardly extending arm 56, the upper end of which is bifurcated to receive a bearing block 51. This bearing block, the side edges of which are notched to slidably engage the sides of the bifurcated portion of the arm 56, is pivotally mounted on a pin 58 fixed to a side of a block 6U which is mounted on a horizontally reciprocating rod 6|. The rod 5| is slidably journalled in and supported by a pair of spaced lugs 62, fixed to a side of the chamber I9, as shown in Fig. 4. The block 60 may be moved along the rod 6| to adjust the position of the bearing block 51 and then may be locked in position by a set screw 63 which is threadedly mounted in the block 60 and engageable with the rod 6|. Reciprocation of the rod 6| to the right, as viewed in Fig. 4, causes the bell crank 54 to be rotated in a clockwise direction causing the linkarm 52 to be pulled downwardly and this, in turn, moves the housing 43 and associated plunger 44 in a clockwise direction. This advances the ratchet wheel 40 and causes two cores 2| to be positioned in the slots 33 by the magazine transfer cylinders upon each reciprocation of the rod 6|.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the bottoms of the S-shaped slots 33 formed in the U-shaped block 24 of the coremagazine are in line with a pair of resilient disc-shaped members 66 which are mounted in housings 61 attached to the upper portion of the plate 26 of the chamber I9. These members 66 form seals for the chamber I9 and are each provided with a small aperture 68 (Fig 6) to permit passage of the cores 2| through the seal. The presence of a core in the aperture closes the aperture, thus effectively preventing the escape of gases from the chamber or the admission of air to the chamber. It will be understood that since this apparatus is designed to operate continuously, a core is at all times during the' operation of the apparatus in position in the aperture of each diaphragm.

The ceramic cores are pushed through the seals 66 by two horizontally disposed pusher rods 69 which extend through apertures 18 formed in a supporting block 1|. The rods 69 are mounted parallel to each other and are spaced apart, as may be seen in Fig. 6, a substantial portion of each rod 69 projecting to the right of the cross block 1|, as shown in this gure. Two short, sleeve-shaped members 12 are mounted on the cross block 1| and are positioned so as to be in line with the apertures 10. A helical groove 13 is formed in the outer surface of each member 12 to receive and engage one end of a helical spring 14 which is positioned about the right portion of eachrod 69. The other end of each spring is fastened to a similarly peripherally grooved cap 15 fitted over the end of each rod 69. As the cross block 1| ismoved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, by mechanism to be explained hereinafter, the rods 69l are normally carried therewith. However, the springs 14, while'selected to urge the pusher rods 69 to the left with suillcient pressure to move cores through the seals 68, will permit the rods to stop during the operation of the pusher mechanism should'they encounter undue resistance. In this way, damage to the mechanism is prevented. A collar 16, associated with each pusher rod 69 and positioned within the spring 14, normally bears against the associated sleeve-shaped member 12 and in cooperation with the spring 14 determines the normal' relative position of each rod 69 and the cross block 1 I.

The cross block 1| (Figs. 3 and 4) is supported on a pair of spaced upright members |54 which are mounted on the upper side of a second cross block 65. This assembly is in part lsupported by a cam bar 11, the rear of which is rigidly mounted in a lug 18 fixed to the underside of the cross block 1|. The cam bar 11 is slidably journalled in a bearing 19 mounted on the end plate 28 of the chamber I9. The forward portion of the bar 11 extends into the chamber I9. Support is also provided for the assembly by a rod 80, the rear end of. which is rigidly mounted in the cross block 65 while the forward portion extends through a bearing 8| mounted on the end plate 26 of the chamber I9 below the bearing`19. The rear end of the rod 6I is also fixed to the cross block 65 and since this rod is slidably journalled in the supporting lugs 62, as hereinbefore described, this rod 6| also aligns and supports the assembly.

Reciprocation of the block 65 and associated cross block 1| is accomplished by the oscillation of a cam actuated lever arm 82, the upper end of which is provided with a bifurcated portion 83 between the arms of which is positioned the block 65, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Trunnion pins 84 are fixed to-either end of the cross block 65 and pivotally support a pair of bearing blocks 85 which are similar in, purpose and design to the slidable bearing block 51. These blocks 85 slidably engage the two arms forming the bifurcated portion 83 of the lever arm '82, the blocks' being positioned in rectangular notches 86 formed in the upper ends of each of these arms. Thus, the lever arm 82 is permitted to move in an arcuate path as the block 65 and associated parts are advanced horizontally.

Oscillation of the lever arm 82 is effected through a cam 81 mounted on a shaft 88 which is rotated by a gear 89 driven by a second gear 90, driven by a motor 9|. The cam 81 engages a roller 92 mounted on a stud shaft 93 which is fixed to the lever arm B2 at a point above a shaft 94, which serves as a pivotal support for the lever i arm 82. Consequently, as the roller 92 engages the raised portion of the cam 81, .the upper portion of the lever arm 82 is moved to the left, carrying with it the cross blocks and 1| and associated parts.

In order to return the charging mechanism after it has been advanced by the cam 81, one end of a helical spring 95 is attached to the lower end of the lever arm 82 at a point beneath the shaft 94 by a. threaded post 96 which is xed thereto. The other end of the spring is attached to a lug 91 mounted on the lower side of a table 98 which serves as a, base for the entire apparatus. The spring 95 pulls the lever arm 82 clockwise and retractsy the blocks 65 and 1| and associated parts after the roller 82 has passed over the raised portion of the cam 81.

As a. pair of resistor cores aremoved forward by the pusher rods 69 and pushed through the apertures 68 in the seals 66, they pass through ceeding recipr'ocations of the pusher mechanism,

those cores theretofore transferred are advanced along the tubes |0| and eventually reach the left ends thereof (Figs. 3 and 6). The lower portions of the left ends of these tubes are provided withl elongated slots |03 in the lower sides thereof, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 7, which are somewhat greater in length than the length of a core and slightly wider than the diameter of a core. These slots |03 are positioned over a pair of blocks |04 which are provided with sinuous sions los similar to the slots 33 in the magazine block 24 and serving substantially the same purpose. The outer sides of these blocks |04 (Figs. 6 and 8) are provided with projecting portions I06 through which extend bolts |01 which engage a framel I0 and support the blocks thereon. This frame ||0 forms a part of the supportingfstructure of the chamber I9, as may be seen in Fig. 8. The lower ends of these sinuous slots |05 are open and as cores roll down the slots, they are directed onto i three conveyor rollers which extend through the tube I8, a portion of which, as heretofore explained, is positioned withinthe furnace I5.

These rollers serve as rails and the cores are advanced along these rails in two lines by a second pair of pusher rods ||2 which are mounted on a block ||3 carried bythe forward portion of the rod 80. The rod is reciprocated by the block 65 and thus, at the time that the pusher rods 69 are moving cores through the tubes |0|, the pusher rods ||2 are moved forward and engage the rear of the cores which have been deposited on the rollers from the slots |05 and move the cores forward a distance substantially equivalent to the length of a core.

In order to prevent interference between the cores being moved forward by the pusher rods i|2 and the cores being moved into position over the slots |03 in the tubes [0I by the rods 10, a pair of right angled retaining plates I4 are provided to retain the cores in the tubes I0| until the transfer rods ||2 have been retracted sufiiciently so that those cores may drop directly to the rollers III. 'I'hese retaining plates are mounted on the upper ends of a pair of pivotally mounted arms ||5 and are moved under the slots |08 as soon as the transfer mechanism has advanced suiiiciently to engage the forward end of the cam bar 11 with a pair of opposed rollers H6. The length of the cam bar 11 is so slected that the retaining plates ||4 are moved under the slots |03 to prevent cores from drop.. ping therefrom at the beginning of a cycle of reciprocation of the transfer mechanism and are maintained in that position until just before the end of the cycle. These rollers are positioned in recesses ||1 formed in the ends of a pair of lugs ||8 whichare mounted on the upper ends of the pivotable arms ||5 and extend toward each other substantially at right angles to the arms IIS. Stud shafts |20 mounted in the blocks |04 support the arms |I5, while a pair of pins |2I, po-

sitioned in the ends of the lugs ||8 and extending across the recesses ||1, provide a rotatable support for the rollers ||6. A helical spring |22 is connected to lugs |23 mounted on each of the arms and positioned at the upper ends thereof and urge the arms together so that when the cam bar 11 is retracted, the retaining plates ||4 are pulled toward each other and out from under the slots |03 in the tubes |0|. This permits the retained cores to drop into the slots |05 and to roll into position on the conveyor roller The conveyor rollers are rotated continuously during the operation of the apparatus to permit uniform exposure of the cores to the gases in the furnace. In order to prevent the cores from being forced down between the rollers, the rollers are rotated in the same direction at differing speeds. It has been found that the difference in speed of rotation need not be great and that by rotating, for example, the right hand roller as viewed in Fig. 2, at 16 R. P. M., the middle roller at 18 R. P. M.. or roughly 10% faster, and the left roller aia-approximately 20 R. P. M., also roughly faster than the speed of rotation of the adjacent roller, the tendency of the cores to be forced down between the rollers is avoided. It will be apparent that if the rollers be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as in-v dicated, `and at the speeds stated, the right hand.

roller will tend to carry the cores downward, but the middle roller, rotating faster, will tend to carry the cores upward, thus overcoming the ef fect of the right hand roller. Similarly, the middle roller also tends to carry the cores supported between it and the left hand roller downward,`

but this tendency is overcome by the greater speed of rotation of the left hand roller.

Rotation of the rollers is accomplished through a gear system |25 which is driven from a shaft |26. As may be seen in Fig. 3, the right end of the shaft |26 extends through a seal |21 which is positioned in a housing |30 mounted on the end plate 26 of the chamber I9. A sprocket gear |3| is mounted on the outer end of the shaft |26 and is driven by a chain |32 which is, in turn, driven through a sprocket gear |33, mounted on the shaft 06 and rotated by the motor 3|. As may be seen in Fig. 3, the right ends of the rollers are journalled in a housing |34 which contains the gear system |25, while, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10, the left ends of the rollersare `iournalled in a bearing block |35 which is mounted within the chamber at the left end of the apparatus.

'Ihecores .are intermittently advanced in two lines'along the rollers by the pusher rods |I2 and are moved through the tube I6 which ex-.

tends through the furnace I5. As they pass through the furnace, a coating of carbon is deposited on the cores as a result of the pyrolytic decomposition of certain carbon-forming gases which are supplied to the furnace by means not shown. Referring to Fig. 10. it will be seen that the left portions of the rollers in the area beyond the end of the tube |8 are substantially reduced in diameter to provide spaces |36 between the adjacent rollers wide enough to permit the cores to drop through. As the cores are positioned over these reduced portions, the cores drop from the rollers and fall into a pair of troughs |31 which are positioned under the spaces |35 at the ends of the rollers, as shown in Fig. l0., Three guide pins |38 are mounted in the bearing block |35 and positioned above the rollers to prevent the cores from jamming as 8 they begin to drop. The troughs |31 are supported by a bracket plate |33 mounted on a side wall oi' the chamber 20. The cores slide down the troughs, which are inclined at a substantial angle, and reach lower portions |40 thereof which are substantially horizontal. Each of these lower portions is provided with apertures |4| to admit a pusher rod |42 by which the coated core is transferred from the lower portion o1' the trough and advanced through a seal |43 mounted in a cylindrical housing |44. The two housings |44 are positioned at the lower left end of the chamber '20 and supported thereon by retaining plates |45. A large annular groove |46 is formed in each housing |44 and in cooperation with the associatedretaining plate forms a chamber through which cooling air may be circulated if required.A After the cores are moved through the air seals, they may be discharged into a suitable receptacle, not shown.

The pusher rods |42 are reciprocated at the same time as the pusher rods 69 and I2. As may be seen in Fig. 10, the rods |42 are supported at their left ends by a bearing block |41 which is mounted on the base of the interior of the chamber 20 while the right ends of these pusher rods are rigidly fixed to a cross bar |50. A longitudinally reciprocable shaft |5| is rigidly fixed to the cross bar at a point substantially midway Ibetween the pusher rods |42 and extends through an air seal |53 mounted in a housing |54 attached to the rear wall of the chamber 20. The seal |53 serves also as a bearing and supports the shaft |5| which is slidable therein. A pair of flanges |55 are integrally formed near the right end of theshaft |5| and the flanges are spaced slightly apart, as shown in Fig. 10, to engage a pin |56 positioned therebetween. This pin is mounted in the upper end of a lever arm |51 and extends at i right angles thereto so as t drivably connect the lever arm to the reciprocable shaft |5| The lever arm |51 is mounted on a pivot pin |58 mounted in a block |60 fixed to the table 98. The lower end oi' the lever arm |51 is connected to the left end of a connecting rod |6| at the right end of which is formed a flange |62. A helical spring |63 is mounted on this rod and its right end bears against the inner side of the flange |62, while its left end is engaged by an inwardly projecting portion |64 of a sleeve |65. 'I'he sleeve |65 is mounted on the left end of a second rod |66 and encloses the spring |63, as shown in Fig. 1. The right end of the rod |66 is connected to the lower end of the lever arm 82 by a pin |61 which extends transversely therethrough, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, as the lever arm 82 is pivoted by the cam 81, the lever arm |51 will be pivoted at the same time, the spring |63 permitting the lever arm |51 to stop should the pusher rods 42 encounter undue resistance. The operation of the apparatus is coordinated and synchronized so that, as two coated cores are delivered to the troughs |31 upon a single reciprocation of the charging apparatus, the two cores previously so delivered are discharged from the chamber by the pusher rods 42.

While but one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that this is merely illustrative and that for guiding an article so transferred to said charging station, an article treating apparatus adjacent said chamber, means extending from said chamber through said treating apparatus for supporting an article, means for moving an: article from said charging station into said treating apparatus along said supporting means, a discharge chamber associated with said treating apparatus, the other end of said supporting means extending therein, an air seal in said discharge chamber to permit an article to be discharged from lsaid chamber while preventing the entry ofv air, and

means for discharging an article from said charnbei through said seal.

,2. An article handling apparatus comprising a magazine, a chute associated with said magazine, means for transferring an article from said magazine to said chute, a charging chamber adjacent said chute, an air seal in said chamber for admitting an article to said chamber while preventing the entry of air, a pusher mechanism for transferring an article from said chute to said chamber through said seal, a charging station in said chamber, a second chute in said chamber for guiding an article so transferred to said charging station, an article treating apparatus adjacent said chamber, a discharge chamber associated with said treating apparatus, a plurality of rollers extending from said charging chamber through said treating apparatus and to said discharging chamber, means for moving an article from said charging station along said rollers and into said discharge chamber, an air seal in said discharge chamber to permit an article to be discharged from said chamber while preventing the. entry of air, and means for discharging an article from said chamber through said seal.

3. An article handling apparatus comprising a magazine, a, chute associated with said magazine, means for transferring an article from said magazine to said chute, a charging chamber adjacent said chute, an air seal in said chamber for admitting an article to said chamber while preventing the entry of air, a pusher mechanism for transferring an article from said chute to said chamber through said seal, a charging station in said chamber, a second chute in said chamber for guiding an article so transferred to said chargingl station, an article treating apparatus adjacent said chambert a discharge chamber associated with said treating apparatus, a plurality of rollers extending from saidcharging chamber through said treating apparatus to said discharge chamber, means for moving` an article along said rollers, the portions of said rollers in said discharge chamber being reduced to permit an article to drop between said rollers, an air seal in said discharge chamber to permit an article to be discharged from said chamber while preventing the entry of air, and means for discharging an article from said chamber through said seal.

4. An article handling apparatus comprising a magazine, a charging chamber adjacent said magazine, an article support within sa'id chamber, means for transferring an article from said magf rotation of the article, a transfer mechanism positioned at the base of said chute for moving an article laterally from said chute, and means for preventing an article from moving through said chute while an article is being transferred from the base of said chute. l

5. An article handling apparatus comprising a magazine, a charging chamber adjacent said magazine, an article support Within said chamber, means for transferring an article from said magazine to said chamber, means for advancing an article along the article support in said chamber, a chute in said chamber for receiving an article from said supportysaid chute having an irregular passage formed therein to permit an article to move therethrough while preventing end to end rotation of the article, a transfer mechanism positioned at the base of said chute for moving an article laterally from said chute, and means for preventing an article from moving through said chute While an article is being transferred from the base of said chute, said means operating in timed relation to the operation of said transfer means.

6. An apparatus for charging a furnace with articles to be treated comprising a pair of rotatable` rollers extending through the furnace for supporting and rotating articles supported thereon, means for successively feeding articles to said rollers, means for advancing articles along said rollers, and means for rotating said rollers, said means being connected to drive the roller which tends to lift an article at a greater peripheral speed than the roller which tends to depress the article. y

7. An apparatus for charging a furnace with articles to be treated comprising a magazine, a pair of rotatable rollers extending through the I furnace for supporting and rotating articles supported thereon, means for successively feeding articles from said magazine to said rollers, means for advancing articles along said rollers, and means for rotating adjacent rollers at successively greater peripheral speeds so as to exert a greater lifting than depressing force on the articles supported thereon.

8. An apparatus for charging a furnace with articles to be treated comprising a magazine, a pair of rotatable rollers extending through the furnace for rotating 'articles positioned thereon, means for successively feeding articles from said magazine to position above said rollers by pushing one article with another, intermittently operable means for successively dropping the articles onto said rollers, means for causing said articles to be properly positioned on the rollers, said means including a sinuous passage, and means coordinated with said feeding means for advancing the articles along said rollers.

9. An apparatus for charging a, furnace with articles to be treated comprising a magazine, a

pair of rotatable rollers extending from the furazine to said chamber, means for advancing an article along the article support in said chamber,

nace for rotating articles positioned thereon, means for successively feeding articles from said magazine to position above `said rollers by pushing one article with ari/other in end to end relation, intermittently operable means for successively dropping the articles onto said rollers, means for causing said articles to be properly positioned on the rollers, said means including a sinuous passage, and means coordinated with said feeding means for advancing the articles along said rollers.

10. An apparatus for charging a furnace vwith articles to be treated comprising a magazine, means for successively feeding articles from said magazine, a seal associated with said furnace, means for pushing articles fed from said magazine through said seal at one level, a pair of rotatable rollers disposed at a lower level extending through the furnace for rotating articles supported thereon, means for successively dropping articles pushed through said seals onto said rollers, means for causing said articles to be properly positioned on the rollers, said means including a sinuous passage, and means coordinated with said feeding means for advancing the articles along said rollers.

l 11. An apparatus for charging a furnace with articles to be treated comprising 9, magazine, a pair of rotatable rollers extending through the furnace for rotating articles positioned thereon, means for successively feeding articles from said magazine to said furnace at one level *by pushing 12 means for successively feeding articles from said magazine, a seal associated with said furnace, means for pushing articles fed from said magazine through said seal at one level, a pair of rotatable rollers disposed at a lower level extending through the furnace for rotating articles supported thereon, means for successively dropping articles pushed through said seals onto said rollers, and means for rotating said rollers, said means for rotating the rollers being connected to drive the roller which tends to lift the articles at aJgreater peripheral speed than the roller which tends to depress the articles.

The following references are of record in the nle'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,043,763 Meyer et al June 9, 1936 674,685 Payson May 21, 1901 2,317,009 Wilson et al. Apr. 20, 1943 1,252,561 Fassinger Jan. 8, 1918 782,888 Vinton Feb. 21, 1905 1,139,558 Moore May 18, 1915 2,269,838 Wroblewski C.-- Jan. 13, 1942 2,088,117 Rehnberg July 27, 1937 2,075,050 Nowinski Mar. 30, 1937 

